Ron Rivera Gets Contract Extension

Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that Ron Rivera signed a 1 year contract extension earlier this spring, which keeps him under contract through 2018. The new deal will pay him over $6 million per season, which makes him one of the top 10 highest paid coaches. The deal has reportedly been done for months, but was kept quiet.

This comes on the heels of Ron Rivera's second Coach of the Year award, a Super Bowl berth, and his 3rd straight NFC south title as head coach. With an overall 47-32-1 record since taking over the team, it would be hard pressed to say that Rivera is anything less than the Panthers most accomplished coach in the short history of the franchise.

A one-year extension is basically a bonus for the coach, and a way of the team saying thank you for everything he has done. I don't expect we will see Rivera in danger of losing his job anytime soon, and when the time comes, there will be another extension waiting. Rivera has improved dramatically in all aspects of coaching, and the way he relates with his players combined with the team's locker room culture, is setting new standards in the NFL and sports in general.

I for one am glad that we were the first team to take a chance on him, after he interviewed with so many other clubs without landing a job. You can never underestimate the value of a positive player/coach relationship, and I think Rivera walks that line between coach and friend better than anyone in the league. Cheers to more seasons and more success coach!